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dual use cards - events vs Battle modifier

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Thu, 03/12/2015 - 00:32
MarkD1733
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I currently have event cards to throw a little randomization into the mix of a cooperative game. However, I was thinking that the cards could also provide a battle modifier as an thematic alternative, which would provide a simple choice...take the known +/- now which would generally effect resources OR take a similarly impactful +/- modifier to the next combat.

Assuming the impact is mathematically the same, you imagine that players would generally and reliably/consistently choose one course over another? Do you think that choice is meanigful, if it presents a "pay me now pay me later" decision point?

Thanks for the input!

Mark

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Thu, 03/12/2015 - 05:45
#1
The Professor
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Excellent Idea

Mark,

One of the many things I do as a Developer is conduct research vis-a-vis game reviews, including those authored by a number of reviewers and those provided in either audio or video format. To that end, I've heard by a number of reviewers, including Radho, Tom Vasal, Undead Viking, and others, that they appreciate cards with more than one function. I'm actually Developing a game for one of our BGDF brethren (questccg), entitled Tradewars:Homeworld and one of the many aspects to Kris' game that I enjoy is the multifaceted nature of one of the card decks.

Since you've already given this serious thought and you have a way in which you can implement it easily into your game, I would strongly encourage you to incorporate it into your prototype, and start play-testing.

Cheers,
Joe

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Thu, 03/12/2015 - 19:28
#2
TreffnonX
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MarkD1733 wrote:I currently

MarkD1733 wrote:
I currently have event cards to throw a little randomization into the mix of a cooperative game. However, I was thinking that the cards could also provide a battle modifier as an thematic alternative, which would provide a simple choice...take the known +/- now which would generally effect resources OR take a similarly impactful +/- modifier to the next combat.

Assuming the impact is mathematically the same, you imagine that players would generally and reliably/consistently choose one course over another? Do you think that choice is meanigful, if it presents a "pay me now pay me later" decision point?

Thanks for the input!

Mark

Assuming that i get what you say correctly, my first thought is, that for example the nuber of cards held at the end of a round could be limited, thus forcing the player to play unused cards for the next round to avoid having to many cards.
As an alternative you could make an effect played in advance stronger (say factor X to whatever the original effect is).
Yet another option could be to pay for cards and make cards played in advance cheaper. For example every action card has a price of action markers each player receives per turn. now a card costs n such markers (tokens) that card could cost -1 tokens to play in advance for next round. You could even go further and say that cards can be played several turns in advance cheapening them by 1 each round.

The specific way to do it is up to you and should be testet so it is both practical and fun.

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Fri, 03/13/2015 - 00:11
#3
MarkD1733
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building off your ideas...

While I understand your ideas, I don't see these events as "purchasable" because they are things the player contend with, be they "Fortune" or "Misfortune." It's not like in Firenze or similar games where you pay as part of the competition. There is currently no hand of cards. These cards play out immediately, and the resources in the game are communal. Now, that being said, maybe there could be the cost to convert the cards into the slightly stronger battle modifiers because there is an ever increasing pressure/stress of resource shortages or depletion. For now, I am thinking more about simplicity--a simple choice--events that provide choices (good and bad) or instant battle modifier, at a "location" of which is predetermined. I will test the other option in playtesting.

Thank you for the input.

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